Hokie ClubThe Divisional Round is in the rearview mirror as the NFL enters the Conference Championships to determine who continues to the Super Bowl. Four teams now remain, with several NFL Hokies vying for their shot at obtaining this year's championship title.
Both NFL Hokie players and coaching staff have clinched Conference Championship spots, giving Virginia Tech fans a continuing chance to support their favorite former Hokies.
Read below for a review of performances from the Divisional Round and featured matchups for the Conference Championships in this edition of NFL Hokies, presented by Coca-Cola.
Divisional Round Review
To kick off the Divisional Round, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 to move on to the NFC Championships. The Packers boast two former Hokies, tackles Yosh Nijman and Luke Tenuta, who fought hard in a closely contested game. San Francisco triumphed in a late-game comeback with running back Christian McCaffrey's six-yard rushing touchdown with 1:07 to play. Overall, the Packers had an impressive performance with 330 total yards of offense and leading the game for two quarters. This will be the 49ers' third consecutive NFC Championship.
The Buffalo Bills' season came to an end last weekend, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning 27-24 to advance to the AFC Championship game on Sunday in Baltimore. This game featured a Hokie-on-Hokie matchup, where former Virginia Tech defensive back Chamarri Conner was the highest-rated defender of the Divisional Round, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Conner was credited with the first forced fumble of his NFL career and amassed a season-high 10 tackles, finishing second on the Chiefs in tackles. This performance earned Conner a 90.2 overall defensive grade and an 82.2 coverage grade, according to PFF. Conner had to face off against defensive tackle Tim Settle of the Bills. Buffalo's defense struggled to contain quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense, which registered 363 total yards and scored on five of their seven drives. With two minutes remaining, Buffalo had a chance to regain their lead, but quarterback Josh Allen failed to convert on third-and-long, and kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal.
San Francisco will move on to play the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship after Detroit's 31-23 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers sport multiple former Hokies on both the field and in the office, with offensive lineman Silas Dzansi's season coming to an end. Tampa Bay's performance this season can be credited in part to their Senior Advisor to the General Manager and former Hokie Bruce Arians, as well as their Safeties Coach Nick Rapone. Tampa Bay finished with 408 total yards of offense, gaining 6.8 yards per play, in comparison to Detroit's 391 total yards of offense and 5.5 yards per play. Detroit found most of its success rushing the football, finishing with 114 rushing yards and jumping ahead of the Buccaneers with three second-half touchdowns.
Conference Championship Matchups
Kansas City at Baltimore Ravens: Sunday, Jan. 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET – CBS
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens will be facing off for the AFC Conference Championship. The Ravens defeated the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, winning by the largest margin of the weekend, 34-10. Conner will continue his journey through the playoffs, facing off against the No. 6 ranked offense in the NFL, according to FOX Sports. This highly anticipated matchup sets the AFC North and AFC West regular season champions against each other to determine who obtains the golden ticket to the Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers: Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET – FOX
The Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers will be matching up for the NFC Conference Championship. San Francisco sports the No. 8 ranked defense in the NFL, according to FOX Sports. Two former Hokies share the credit for that accomplishment, including Defensive Assistant Nick Sorensen and Assistant Defensive Line Coach Darryl Tapp. While the 49ers are familiar with the NFC Championship, the Lions earned their first playoff win in 32 years when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 in the Wild Card Weekend round. Detroit is hoping to make history as they will be playing in the NFC Championship for only the second time in franchise history.